Pneumatic tire.



Patented D60 7, 1909 (9 4 J j@ Z2? P. G. MUENCHINGEB..

' PNEUMATIC TIRE.

APPLIILMTION HLBD JULY 27, 19oa.-

. vention.

i To all whom 'it may concern:

"UNrTED srAfrErAT-ENT OFFICE.

PAUL G. MUENCHINGER, OF NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO EDWARD F. SHIEK, OF BROOKLINE. MASSACHUSETTS.

PNEUMATic TIRE. 1

Specification of Letters Patent. .Patented Dec.. 7, 1909.

Application filed July 27, 1908. Serial No. 445,517.

Be it known that l, PAUL G. MUENCHIN- een, a citizen of the. United States, residing at Newport, in the county of Newport and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Pneumatic Tire, of whiclrthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to pneumatic tires for use upon automobiles, motor cycles and other vehicles and its object is to provide an inliatable tire made up of separate sections independently inflatable and whichV can be independently removed and replaced 1n the event of puncture or otherv injury thereto.

,A further object is to provide `tire sections so shaped that when theyare assembled they will form a smooth continuous tread which will not produce any undesirable jolting or vibration while the wheel is rotating.

With these and `other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter`more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings is shown the preferred formof the invention.`

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a, view partly in elevation and partly in section of a portion of a Wheel having a single tube tire thereon embodying'the present improvements. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of o'ne end portion of one of the sections. `Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through a portion of aclencher tire constructed in accordance with' the presentin- Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the tire shown in Fig. 3..

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, 1 designates the felly of a wheel' the same having its outer face concaved transversely so as to form an efficient scat for the tire. In Fig. 1 a single tube tire has been shown, said tire consisting of a number of similar tubular sections 2 each having its ends closed and provided at each end with aV erly held to the rim 1 a threaded lug or stem 5 is arranged within the rim adjacent one end of each section 2. This stem projects through the inner portion of the tireI sectlon and has a cl-amping plate G upon the end" portion thereof and Within the tire, there being another clamping plate 7 upon the stem and outside the tire and designed to be forced against the tire by means of a nut 8 or -in any other suitable manner. It'is -of course lto be understood that the plate 7 and nut 8 are disposed Within a recess in the rim 1 as indicatedl at 9 so that there will be no danger of their injuring ,the tire.

Any suitable means such as a wing nut 10 may be arranged upon the exposediportion of the stem for the purpose of securing it and the tire to the rim. rl`he other end portion of each tire section is held upon the rim by means of a combined lug and valve.y Thisconsists of a vtubular valve casing 11 exteriorly screw threaded and having an angular iange 12 at that end thereof located' prevent the escape of air from the, inflated tire'when the cap 18 is removed."

2 By fastening each tire section 2 to the rim means of a lug and a valve such as herein described it will be obvious that said sections willbe held firmly upon the rim and with their tongued ends lappin and forming a smooth continuous tread. Any desired number of these sections may be arranged upon y other sections Will not be affected.

Although the invention is designed Yi'or use in connection with tires of the single*` tube type it is'equally applicable to tires of .the clencher type. -This form of the device has been illustrated in Figs. 3 and Ll and consists of inner tube sections-19 each o f which has its ends formed in the same manner as the sections 2 show-n in lFigs. 1v and 2 although it is to bel understood that these inner sections are of liner and lighter material and are elastic so as to expand 4when infiated. Each section 19 has a valve tube 2O extending from the middle portion thereof and through the felly 21 of the wheel, said tube being similar to the ones ordinarily employed A metal rim 2l is mounted on thefelly and has inturned'marginal lianges 22 designed to be engaged by the enlarged edge portions 23 of the outer tube 24 of the tire. This outer tube is also made up oi sections preferably of the same length as the sections 19, the parts being preferably so proportioned that the tongues 19 of the sections 19 will project past the ends of 4the outer tube sections 24. The outer tube sections are preferably held in place by means ot' lugs consisting of threaded stems 25, each stem having a bowed or angular plate 2G attached to one end thereof and designed to 'press the enlarged edges 23 into engagement with the flanges 22 ofthe rim. A Wing nut 27 ory other suitable device is arranged on each stem for the purpose of tightening the plate 26 upon the outer tube. As shown particularly in Fig. 4 this plate is so shaped that when it is drawn toward the rim -21 it Aexerts a Wedging action and forces the two enlarged portions 23 apart thus firmly locking them to the rim.

lt will be seen that With both of the constructions herein described any one of the sections can be readily removed or replaced should injury occur to any one of them .and the tire can still be used Without injury to the Wheel. This is especially true where more than four sections constitute each tire.

What is claimed is:

1.f A pneumatic tire comprising separately removable inflatablel sections, each section having a closed end, there being a recess Within and an miiatable tongue upon each end oi each section, the tongues of each,

section being disposed to be seated. ywithin the recesses of the adJoining sections aud each constituting a portion of the tread of` the tire.

2. \1n a pneumatic tire, a series of`sepa- `rately removable and separately inflatable sections, said sections having lapping inliatable tongues, all of the tonguesconstitilting portions oft' llie tread of the tire.

3. In a pneumatic tire, a series ot separately removable and separately inliatable sections, said sections having lapping inllatablc longues at llieir ends and disposed side by side, there being recesses within the end ,portions of the sections for the recel tion of' the tongues of the adjoining sections. In testimonyv that I claim' the foregoing as my own, I have hereto alixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

PAUL G. MUENCHINGER. Witnesses:

WILLIAM WILLIAMS, MARY J. Ronnlucn.

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